Playing To Win the RFP Game: Stack The Deck In Your Favor To Win More Competitive Bids

By E. B. Diamond

Playing To Win the RFP Game

Millions of dollars in government contracts are on the table. If you don't go after that business, someone else will. But to win you must play a smart, strategic hand. Do you have what it takes to win a government contract? Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you have an RFP strategy?

• Language: English
• Publisher: E. B. Diamond Books
• Release date: Aug 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781088214572

Book preview

Playing To Win

The RFP Game

E. B. DIAMOND

Disclaimer

This book contains the beliefs, opinions, and ideas of its author. The author and publisher are not engaged in rendering professional services of any kind and make no representations or warranties regarding the completeness, usefulness, or effectiveness of the contents herein and expressly disclaim any implied warranties, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. Any use, reliance, or interpretation of any content, material, or suggestion is at your own risk.

Copyright © 2022 E.B. Diamond

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

DON’T BLAME THE MESSENGER

Chapter 1 - The Secret To Winning Rfps

Chapter2 - The Secret To Losing Rfps

Chapter3 - The Secret Of Playing The Game

Chapter 4 - The Secret Knowledge

Chapter5 - SecretsForLeaders

Chapter6 - SecretsForIncumbents

Chapter7 - SecretsForNewcomers

Chapter 8 - Secrets For Proposal Writers And Project Managers

PART TWO - THE GAME PLAN

Chapter 9 - Get A Grip

Chapter 10 - Get Ready

Chapter 11 - The Kick-Off

Chapter 12 - Your Work Plan

Chapter 13 - Standardize Your Company’s Name

Chapter 14 - Online Registration

Chapter 15 - Pre-Bid Meetings

Chapter 16 - Requirements Are The Rules Of The Game

Chapter 17 - The Scope Of Work

Chapter 18 - Reviewing The Questionnaire

Chapter19 - Subcontracting

Chapter20 - The Evaluation Criteria

Chapter21 - The Q&A, Amendments, And Addenda

Chapter22- Forms Review

Chapter23- Attachments

Chapter24 - SubmissionPreparation

PART THREE - PLAYING THE GAME

Chapter25 - The Setup

Chapter26 - BeginWithStructure

Chapter27- Some General Writing Advice

Chapter28 - Let Theme Drive Your Story

Chapter29 - Writing The Proposal

Chapter30 - TheCoverPage

Chapter31- The Table Of Contents

Chapter32 - WritingEffectiveCoverLetters

Chapter33 - TheExecutiveSummary

Chapter34 - The Questionnaire

Chapter35 - References

Chapter36 - Resumes, Biographies,

And Organizational Charts

Chapter37 - Forms

Chapter 38 - Pricing

Chapter39 - Attachments

Chapter40 - Editing Your Proposal

Chapter41- ProductionAndSubmission

Chapter42 - Afterwards

Chapter43- Protests

PART FOUR - A WALK DOWN RFP LANE

Chapter44 - Proposal WritingInAction

A Final Thought On Communications

ThankYou

YourOpinion Counts

INTRODUCTION

DON’T BLAME THE MESSENGER

You want to win RFPs, build your business, and make money. I know the feeling. I have written hundreds of proposals and secured contracts worth millions over the decades. I have also made some costly mistakes along the way. The wins and losses have taught me a lot about RFPs and how to play the game. In this book, I am sharing with you my opinions, processes, strategies, and the lessons I’ve learned because I want you to win.

But, if you chose Playing To Win The RFP Game, hoping I can tell you precisely what to write in your proposal, you will be disappointed. I cannot write your proposal for you. I don’t know your company, your industry, or how you do what you do. The examples in this book are general and generic. They must be. The only way for you to write a proposal is to jump in and do the work. It’s scary, I know. You don’t want to make costly mistakes. Before you begin this journey, accept these facts:

Fact: You will make mistakes.

Fact: You will win sometimes.

Fact: You won’t win every time.

Fact: The deciding vote of who wins the RFP is beyond your control.

Fact: The only thing you can do is play smart, follow the rules, stack the deck in your favor, and hope for the best.

While this book will clarify some confusion about RFPs, no book can answer every question or solve every problem. Each business is different, and so are the issues that arise. At some point, you must take the plunge, take some chances, and learn by doing.

A BRIEF WORD ON LINGO

Throughout this book, I use the word purchaser to mean the company, organization, or entity that issued the RFP. I also use the terms judge, reader, and reviewer. These are the individuals who read the proposals and pick the winner. For the purposes of this book, they all mean the same thing.

PART ONE

INSIDER SECRETS

CHAPTER 1

THE SECRET TO WINNING RFPs

There is no secret to winning RFPs. Accept this fact now before you read another word. RFP projects are complicated. You’ll have tight deadlines to manage, data to organize and assemble, forms to complete, hurdles to jump, and pitfalls to avoid. It’s not mysticism. It’s just work.

And no matter what you do, the decision of who wins is beyond your locus of control. There are no magic tricks, potions, or spells to conjure that can guarantee a win. There are never any guarantees.

But there is still hope.

Stick with me on this journey. I will share my insights, opinions, strategies, tricks, and techniques developed over the past decades in writing proposals and scoring contracts worth millions. I will also prepare you for some potential RFP dangers and how to avoid them.

I realize that some of you may only care about the tricks and nothing else. That’s not smart. Because if you don’t pay attention to the details at every phase of your proposal, the tricks won’t matter. It’s like topping a plump, juicy, maraschino cherry on a dry, stale, moldy old cupcake. In the end, you still have a dry, stale, moldy old cupcake.

In this book, you will learn how to:

♦     Take control

♦     Ask smartquestions

♦     Make smarter decisions

♦     Make the most of your options

♦     Extend your antenna

♦     Know when to worry

♦     Read between the lines

♦     Interpret the purchaser’s burning question

♦     Listen to your gut

♦     Play by the rules

♦     Play smart

Some of my methods may seem obvious or mundane, and they are. You might even get frustrated by its simplicity. Yet, I have seen worthy bidders ignore these simple methods and strategies, opting instead for the slick, sensational, and possibly unethical or illegal. They called it a calculated risk. Of course, they lost the RFP, not because the other company was better. The other company was simply smarter. I will teach you to play a smart, strategic game that stacks the deck in your favor.

The heart of this book is about stacking your deck.

CHAPTER 2

THE SECRET TO LOSING RFPs

An RFP usually equals one thing - a new contract. The venture means growth, money, and success, which are all serious business and the touchstones by which most people judge achievement. And it’s all thanks to one RFP. Who wouldn’t be excited by the prospect? But the excitement is often the bidder’s downfall when they get caught up in the outcome - the big win. The problem is that you have no control over the outcome, so focusing solely on the win is pointless.

Try this instead. Think of an RFP as an intriguing, exciting (and dare I say fun?) game. Then, play the game, not the result.

I can hear the protests.

What? How can you be so cavalier? This isn’t a joke! Do you realize what’s at stake? Do you understand what this deal means to my company?

Before you go all apoplectic, consider this. An RFP, at best, is only a new opportunity. It won’t become a new business deal until you win the contract – if you win the contract. And that’s a big IF. For now, an RFP is nothing more than a contest, a competition, and a game of chance.

And here’s a piece of blunt advice that you might not like. If your company’s stability rests on the hopes of winning this RFP, your problems are far more extensive than one RFP can solve. Would you take the last hundred dollars out of your bank to buy a lottery ticket expecting the outcome (the win) to pay next month’s rent? No sensible person would make that move because the lottery is a game of chance. You have the same control over winning the lottery as winning an RFP. None.

The problem with new business thinking is that it plays the outcome rather than the game. Outcomes are packaged with the emotion-fueled fantasy that goes something like this: Hey, here’s a nice opportunity. [Calm]. This deal could open up new markets for us.[Excitement]. This RFP is the golden ticket to success, power, and wealth beyond our wildest dreams. [Obsessive dopamine hysteria whenever money is at stake].

It’s the same rush most people get when buying a lottery ticket. Common sense tells them their chance of winning is slimtonone.But,fromthemomenttheyhandovertheir two dollars until the last ball rolls down the tube, they live the millionaire fantasy of German cars, yacht vacations, and beachfront properties. We’ve all had some version of that heightened expectation, and it hurts like hell when reality slams down.

And once that wild chemical high is triggered, whether from a lottery ticket or an RFP, it’s nearly impossible to regain equilibrium and self-control. But like any good chemical high, the only place to go now is a down.

Losing is not an option! If you want to keep your job, make this deal happen. [Red-faced anger.] Your energy, enthusiasm, and excitement become stress, anger, and frustration. But here’s the kicker, you are getting upset about losing when you haven’t lost anything. You never had the business in the first place (unless you are the incumbent - more on that later). our proposal writer and RFP project team have no more control over the outcome than you have. You know this.

Emotions cloud judgment. When you’re over-stressed and focused on the outcome, you’re less likely to make clear, rational, smart, strategic decisions, which you need to play the RFP game. You are also more likely to second-guess the sound decisions you made before the invasion of the stress monster. And because misery loves company, everyone in the office feels your pain. Instead of working, the staff spends the rest of the day texting each other, "Hide! Boss is on the warpath."

Outcome thinking is not the way to win RFPs. There is a better way.

CHAPTER 3

THE SECRET OF PLAYING THE GAME

RFPs are won or lost based on someone else’s opinion, belief, attitude, and interpretation. The only part of an RFP that you control is how you play the game.

PRESSREWIND

Let’s rewind to the moment when you first got your hands on the RFP and thought, Hey, here’s a nice opportunity. Now press stop and put on your game face before sliding down the dopamine rabbit hole.

Don’t think about money.

Don’t fantasize about the outcome.

Play the game.

THECONNECTIONBETWEENRFPS ANDGAMES

Games and RFPs have so much in common they are practically fraternal twins. For starters, each has its own set of rules. Rules define the structure, create challenges, and keep the playing field fair and even. Violate the rules and you will face the consequences. You’re competing to earn the highest score. There will be winners and losers. And the ultimate goal for every player is victory.

START BY GETTING A GRIP

I said earlier that winning isn’t a magic trick. But that doesn’t mean you are entirely powerless. Your power is in how you play the game. The first step in setting yourself up for victory begins with getting a grip on the RFP and your project. Getting a grip comes down to three things:

♦     Learn the game

♦     Play by the rules

♦     Take control

LEARN THE GAME

Before you can play any game, you must learn the game. The RFP is your playbook, and it holds the key to your success. The first mistake people make is not reading the RFP. And can you blame them? It’s hardly light reading. Most go numb after perusing the first page because RFPs are boring. But, if you only do a quick skim as most people do, you miss vital details. It’s impossible to play like a pro if you don’t know the game’s finer points.

In Part 2 - The Game Plan, we’ll walk through my method of dissecting the RFP and extract the fundamental elements to help you play your best game.

Play By The Rules

There is a saying in the arts community that you must learn the rules before you can break them. Artists find their unique voice, talent, and success by breaking established rules.

RFPs are not art. Don’t confuse the two. Unlike art rules, RFP rules (a.k.a. requirements) are not meant to be broken. RFP rules are big red traffic lights, and a cop is sitting across the street in a patrol car waiting to pounce.

One of the biggest and downright stupidest mistakes bidders make is interpreting RFP requirements as options or mere suggestions. Making this error is an excellent technique if you want to lose.

Your proposal is at the mercy of judges who decide the winner. The judges wrote the RFP and established the rules and requirements. It stands to reason that when it’s time to grade your proposal, the first thing they will check is how well you followed their rules.

While some equate rules with limitations, rules are the essence of both games and RFPs. Rules defeat amateurs. Pros use rules as an opportunity to stack the deck in their favor.

Take Control

Taking control has more to do with project management thanRFPstrategy.RFPsarepackedwithdetails,andyou must learn and track every one of them.If you don’t get a handle on your project the moment it lands on your desk, you will bury yourself in stress and failure. You must take and maintain control.

If you’re about to run out the back door and burst into tears – don’t worry. Stick with me because I will teach step- by-step how to get and stay in control in Part 2 - The Game Plan. Don’t skip or skim this section. It’s the very foundation of your success.

Check out the companion workbook, Playing To Win The RFP Game - Workbook, if you would like more support.

JUDGESARENOTYOURFRIENDS

I once told a client that I needed a sample report for a proposal I was writing for them. The report had to be submitted with the proposal. It said so in the RFP. But the client ignored repeated requests until close to the deadline. These were not stupid people, so I didn’t push at the beginning.

I finally had to lay it on the line and say, "Do you under- stand what will happen if you don’t include this report?

The client said, Yeah, they’ll ask for it later.

I said, No. They won’t. They will assume you don’t have the report and are not capable of creating one. You will lose evaluation points, and you may lose your chance at the contract.

I had the report by the end of the day.

Don’t expect the judge to give you any leeway or the benefit of the doubt. Judges are not your friends.

PLAY SMART

RFPs are obstacle courses with opportunities at every twist and turn. Playing smart is about making the most of every opportunity to stack the deck in your favor. We will explore these options in Part 2 - The Game Plan and Part 3 - Playing The Game. I will show you how to find opportunities and make the most of them while keeping your project on course.

PLAY ITLIKE DARTS

Play RFPs like a game of darts. The more darts you throw, the better your chance of hitting the target. Don’t be a casual player. You must bid regularlyand often to improve your chance of winning.

PLAY LIKE A REALIST, NOT A FANTASIST

A small company contacted us to write their proposal. They had been in business for about two years and had five employees. The RFP they were determined to win was a massive, multimillion-dollar contract from one of the state’s largest employers. Our client (we referred to them as the giant slayers) would be competing against companies ten and twenty times their size and in operation for decades. We told them their chance of winning this RFP was somewhere between zero and none. We knew the playing field and the other players.

Did they listen? Of course not. They were dopamine- fueled with the dream of what winning the contract would mean for their business and insisted we write the proposal. They believed they would absolutely win because they were located in the same state as the purchaser. And boy, were they dumbfounded when they lost. Does that remind you of anything? Like maybe the new business mindset and playing the outcome rather than the game?

There’s nothing wrong with bidding beyond your league. It’s a good way to get your feet wet if you’re new to the RFP game. But if you want to win, a little pragmatism is advised. The real problem isn’t the loss. The problem is refusing to understand why you lost and then repeating the same mistake time and time again.

PLAY LOSSES LIKE A PRO

Even when you are fully qualified for the job and play by the rules, the fact is - you can still lose. Smart strategists play each loss the way